Saturday, January 27, 2007

1955 "Golden Zebra" Daimler with Zebra skin seats

So the guy running the company listens to his wifes ideas for an interior idea, and she says "Mink is too hot to sit on, use Zebra" and so the guy does that, plus gold plates the trim, and has the instrument panel made of ivory.... and voila the expense report hits the conference room able and he's fired.

He had been renowned for his "Docker Specials" at the annual Earl's Court Motor Show, and his position as the Chairman of the BSA group. The BSA Group seem to have ran the Daimler Benz company and traditional Daimler characteristics had long endeared the marque to the nobility, in pre-war years the company’s products were preferred by Britain’s Royal Family to those of rivals Rolls-Royce.

Created for the 1955 London Motor Show by Lady Norah Docker, wife of the company's chairman Sir Bernard Docker, and cost £12,000 - eight times the price of a Daimler Conquest saloon.

Sir Bernard and Lady Docker took it to Monaco in April 1956 for the wedding of Prince Rainier and actress Grace Kelly, but only weeks later they were sacked from Daimler's board for squandering company cash.